When you wear two hats at a small school, multitasking becomes a way of life. For Tri-Cities Prep’s Kyle Cairns, serving as both athletic director and head football coach has meant everything from drawing up plays to driving the team bus.
“It’s gotten better,” Cairns said of balancing the dual role. “The school’s found ways to patch it in—we hired a grounds guy, found consistent bus drivers—so I’m not doing quite as much of that. It’s freed me up to focus more on the kids.”
That focus has paid off. Under Cairns’ leadership, the Tri-Cities Prep Jaguars have become a steady playoff presence, with each season advancing a step further in the state tournament. In 2024, Prep went 9–3 overall and a perfect 6–0 in district play, claiming first place in the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference (EWAC).
“Each year we’ve inched forward,” Cairns reflected. “First year losing in a crossover, then the first round, then the quarterfinals against Okanogan. Now our kids want to take the next step—competing as one of the top four and playing for a state title.”
The Jaguars’ offense will look slightly different this fall. Cairns and his staff have adjusted the scheme to blend spread principles with a wingback-heavy formation, moving some slot receivers into the backfield to maximize versatility.
That change pairs well with the return of senior quarterback Jarrett Garza, who finally gets the green light to play both sides of the
ball. Garza will line up at quarterback and also see time at safety, something he’s wanted to do for years. “It just shows how valuable he is to us,” Cairns said, noting that they now feel comfortable enough to let him contribute defensively.
At wideout, that’s where the Jags feel the seniors that graduated. the offense regains senior Carter Gaddish, who was a starter as a freshman but battled back injuries for two years. Healthy again, Gaddish provides a reliable target alongside All-League talent Aiden McCabe (Jr.), who earned both First Team (DB) and Second Team (WR) honors in 2024.
Up front, the Jaguars return almost their entire offensive line. Juniors Carsten Seeliger and Kasen Clements, both First Team All-League selections, anchor the unit. The lone open spot left by graduated senior Mike McCabe has created a position battle between Tucker Schroeder (Jr.) and Nate Fecke (Jr.).
No player embodies Prep’s rise more than Jacob Sherfey, last year’s EWAC East Player of the Year. A two-way force at running back and linebacker, Sherfey is the heart of the Jaguars’ offense and defense.
“Last year he split carries,” Cairns explained. “This year the workload shifts more in his direction.”
Sherfey’s ability to impact the game on both sides is why Cairns designs schemes around his strengths. On defense, Sherfey’s role at inside linebacker has been adjusted to let him roam freely rather than stick to strict gap assignments. “You kind of want your best athlete to play that way,” Cairns said.
While skill players often grab headlines, Cairns is quick to point out that Prep’s success starts up front. The Jaguars return nearly their entire offensive and defensive line units, anchored by a pair of First Team All-League juniors in Carsten Seeliger and Kasen Clements. Both are multi-year starters who provide toughness and consistency on both sides of the ball.
The group also features James Koskinen (Jr.), a Second Team All-League pick who has grown into a reliable presence in the trenches, and Michael McCabe (Sr.), an Honorable Mention selection who brings versatility and leadership.
Even with that experience, competition remains healthy. With Mike McCabe graduated, the lone open spot on the offensive line is being contested by Tucker Schroeder (Jr.) and Nate Fecke (Jr.), both pushing each other to lock down a tackle position.
“Now we just have consistency across the board,” Cairns said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are two- or three-year starters, and it’s nice having real position battles up front. Whoever is most consistent will win it.”
On defense, the Jaguars are adjusting to their lack of size by rotating linemen in an odd-front scheme. The idea is to control interior gaps with fewer big bodies, freeing up linebackers and safeties to make plays. For Tri-Cities Prep, that allows their smaller but more athletic roster to use speed on the edges and keep playmakers like Jacob Sherfey free to roam without being locked into strict gap assignments. Still, Cairns trusts his returning linemen to set the tone in the trenches and believes their experience will be key in both phases of the game.
The secondary may be the team’s deepest unit, featuring a two-high safety look. Jameson Elliot (Sr.) returns at safety and will line up alongside Garza, giving Prep two athletic playmakers in the back. At corner, junior Caelan Vincent impressed during summer camp and will start opposite McCabe, creating a strong rotation of multi-sport athletes.
Cairns praised the group’s preparation: “Our defense has been the sharpest part of our offseason. We trust our edge players, and we’re excited about the versatility in the secondary.”
2024 EWAC East All-League Honors
Coach of the Year:
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Kyle Cairns
Player of the Year:
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Jacob Sherfey
First Team
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Jarrett Garza, Jr. – QB
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Jacob Sherfey, Jr. – QB/LB
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Bryson Wilde, Sr. – WR/DB
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Carsten Seeliger, Jr. – OL/DL
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Kasen Clements, Jr. – OL/DL
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Colton Vincent, Sr. – LB
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Aiden McCabe, Jr. – DB
Second Team
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Colton Vincent, Sr. – RB
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Aiden McCabe, Jr. – WR
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James Koskinen, Jr. – OL/DL
Honorable Mention
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Michael McCabe, Sr. – DL
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Owen Janke, Sr. – LB
For Cairns, who earned Coach of the Year honors last season, the true measure of progress isn’t just wins but sustaining consistency at a small school.
“At a place like Prep, you’ll always have ebbs and flows,” he said. “The key is keeping the ebbs around .500 and the flows at a championship level. Right now, we’re in a good spot.”
That good spot extends beyond this fall. With a strong junior class behind the seniors, Prep appears positioned for continued success. The Jaguars closed last year ranked 109th overall in Washington and 7th in the 2B division according to MaxPreps.
Still, Cairns’ goal is simple: to get out of the way and let his players play.
“We had a kid leave the program who said he was surrounded by 20 guys who absolutely loved football and he just said he didn’t feel the same way. That tells me everything I need to know about this group,” Cairns said. “My job is not to micromanage them—just to stay out of the way and let them go win football games.”